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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

Kindred Souls

Connecting Through Spiritual Friendship

Stephanie Ford • February 2007

BUY Print $13.99

BUY eBook (Available in ePub or Kindle) $9.99

Many of us go through our busy lives with many acquaintances but few true close friends. Most of our daily conversations focus on the mundane, or we barely scratch the surface of what's going on in our friends' lives as we try to catch up on the run.

We weren't meant to travel alone.

Yet many of us are afraid to reveal our innermost thoughts, of being too nosy or not "religious enough" to commit to spiritual kinships.

Using the story of Ruth and Naomi as an example, Stephanie Ford describes how to overcome the risk and fear of sharing and explains how to be a faithful listener. She offers new insights that will empower you to build and nurture soul friendships. Through this book you will

  • discover what spiritual friendship is and how it differs from other forms
  • find practical ways to develop and nurture spiritual friendships
  • meet spiritual companions from biblical and Christian history
  • explore the most profound friendship of all — friendship with God — and learn how it can transform your life

Kindred Souls is for individuals, prayer partners, or small groups who want to deepen the friendships they already have and open themselves to new possibilities God offers. Let this book guide you as you seek kindred companions to encourage and challenge you on the spiritual journey.


Categories: Discipleship
Stephanie Ford is assistant professor of Christian spirituality at Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. She holds a BA and an MA from Oral Roberts University, an MA from Oklahoma State University, an MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (Virginia), and a PhD from The Catholic University of America.

ISBN: 978-0-8358-9903-1

Kindle ISBN: 978-0-8358-1746-2

EPub ISBN: 978-0-8358-1747-9

Imprint: Upper Room

Pub Date: February 2007

Trim Size: 5.5 in (w) x 8.5 in (h) x 0.2635 in (d)

Page Count: 124

BISAC Categories: RELIGION / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth

BISAC1: REL012120

BISAC2: REL012000

BISAC3:

"'A gift from God,' a 'vocation of love,' a knitting together of those whose hearts burn as they encounter God on the journey: this is the territory Stephanie Ford explores in her lovely book, Kindred Souls. Rooting her reflections in scripture and drawing on a rich ecumenical cloud of witnesses, Ford shows us in fresh and inviting ways that friendship — between those who love God, between the living and those already departed, between God-seekers and God’s self — is a vital and essential part of the Christian life."
— Wendy M. Wright, PhD Professor of Theology, Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska

"Kindred Souls makes a significant contribution to literature on spiritual friendship. Stephanie Ford writes out of rich personal experience, but she has securely anchored her study in scriptures, Christian history, and sound theology and psychology. Persons and groups looking for ways to deepen relationships with others should turn to this sensitive and wise book; it’s a delight to read."
— E. Glenn Hinson Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and John Loftis Professor of Church History Baptist Theological Seminary Richmond, Virginia